The Impact of Simulation-Based Education on Nurses' Perceived Predeployment Anxiety During the COVID-19 Pandemic Within the Cultural Context of a Middle Eastern Country.

Anxiety related to the COVID-19 pandemic is prevalent among the nursing workforce and has the potential to affect well-being and performance in the workplace. This paper reports on a joint education/nursing and midwifery workforce quality improvement initiative in the State of Qatar to address an urgent need for COVID-19 preparedness during the second wave of infection. A Simulation-Based Education (SBE) program was developed and delivered over a period of 2 months (February to April 2021) to prepare nurses for deployment to COVID-19 facilities. Perceived anxiety scores related to COVID-19 deployment were collected from 121 nurses before and after SBE attendance. The data demonstrates that SBE is an effective method to reduce deployment-related anxiety among registered nurses.

Piloting of a nursing and midwifery competence framework in the cultural context of a middle eastern country.

Clinical competence amongst nurses and midwives is vital for the delivery of safe and consistent patient care. However, worldwide there is a lack of agreement on definitions and notions about what constitutes competence and how it can be determined in everyday clinical practice. This situation poses professional dilemmas in situations where competing dialogues exist. This is particularly evident in countries that employ nurses and midwives from diverse national backgrounds with differing professional and educational experiences. To address potential misunderstandings, ensure a consistent approach to the confirmation of clinical competency and assure patient safety, a strategic decision was taken by the nursing and midwifery leadership of the country's major healthcare organisation to develop an organisationally and culturally sensitive competence framework model. This article reports on the design, development and piloting of an educationally led framework model. The model, referred to as 'Q-PACE: Qatar's Practice, Appraisal, Competence and Education', links previously fragmented activities regarding confirmation of clinical competence of staff into a unified holistic process that provides assurance regarding the competence of new and existing employees.